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NATO's Rutte dismisses idea of European joint military
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has dismissed the possibility of a separate European military, saying that Europe could not defend itself without the United States’ help. Europe and the U.S. should divide responsibilities to support NATO, Rutte said. European countries would have to drastically increase their defence spending to maintain separate armed forces, per Rutte, and build up their own nuclear capabilities. “If anyone thinks here, again, that the European Union, or Europe as a whole, can defend itself without the U.S., keep on dreaming,” Rutte told the European Parliament’s committees on foreign affairs and security. “We need each other.” ”I wish you luck if you want to do it [create a European military], because you have to find the men and women in uniform, it will be on top of what is happening already, and it will make things more complicated. I think [Russian President Vladimir] Putin will love it.” Rutte also said that the EU would allow Ukraine to spend part of the bloc's upcoming €90 billion loan on weapons from the U.S., despite a push by some member countries like France to spend the money on the bloc's own military suppliers. The comments by the NATO chief followed his previous pattern of insist
Europe
High speed train crash in Spain kills at least 40
At least 40 people died when two high-speed trains carrying 527 people collided in Spain on Monday in one of the worst rail accidents in Europe in 80 years. The country was scheduled to begin three days of mourning on Tuesday as rescuers continue to search through the wreckage for more victims of the crash, which occurred at 7:45 pm local time (6:45 pm GMT) the previous day. The president of the local region, Juan Manuel Moreno, said at least 40 people lost their lives when an Iryo train derailed and slammed into the path of another train on a nearby line near Adamuz in Cordoba province, about 360 kilometres south of Madrid. The train was travelling at 110 kilometres per hour from Málaga in the autonomous Andalusia region of southern Spain to the national capital of Madrid in central Spain at the time of the collision. The impact tossed the second train’s lead carriages off the track and down a four-meter bank, with bodies found hundreds of metres away from the wreckage. A total of 12 people were in intensive care after the accident, which experts said may have been caused by a faulty rail joint, according to media reports. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez cancelled his trip to the World Economic Forum in Dav
Europe
Greenland Parliament Chair rejects US takeover
Greenland does not not want to be a part of the United States of America, the Chairman of the Greenlandic Parliament Jens-Frederik Nielsen said. According to translated comments reported by Danish public broadcaster DR, Nielsen said Greenland chose Denmark, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and the European Union over the U.S.. “We are in a geopolitical crisis. If we have to choose between the USA and Denmark here and now, we choose Denmark,” he said. Nielsen made these comments as he stood beside Denmark Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen at a news conference in Copenhagen ahead of discussions with U.S. officials. "The time has not come for internal discussions and division,” he said. “The time is to stand together and build on the community we know.” This comes after Frederiksen urged U.S. President Donald Trump to stop threatening to take over Greenland. She reiterated these comments in the press conference and said small countries should not have to fear larger countries. "It has not been easy to stand up to completely unacceptable pressure from our closest allies for a lifetime,” she said. “But there is much evidence that the hardest part is still ahead of us.” Frederiksen also explained that De
Europe
US discusses buying Greenland
United States President Donald Trump said America remains committed to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) as he holds active discussions to purchase Greenland with his security team. Trump has long been interested in acquiring Greenland due to its rich mineral resources. However, this has raised tension with NATO allies as Trump has not ruled out taking over the territory by force. Greenland is considered part of NATO through its connection to Denmark. "All options are always on the table for President Trump," White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt told reporters at a White House briefing. "The president's first option always has been diplomacy." According to Leavitt, an acquisition of Greenland would give the U.S. more control over the Arctic region and the ability to counter aggression in a strategically important area. "The president has been very open and clear with all of you and with the world that he views it in the best interest of the United States to deter Russian and Chinese aggression in the Arctic region, and so that's why his team is currently talking about what a potential purchase would look like," she said. In a Truth Social post, Trump said the U.S. would always stand by NATO
Europe
Denmark Prime Minister says US has no right to Greenland
Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has urged United States President Donald Trump to stop threatening to take over Greenland. Frederkisen said it made “absolutely no sense” for the U.S. to talk about taking over Greenland. “The US has no right to annex any of the three countries in the Danish kingdom,” she said. She also said in the event of a U.S. attack, Denmark would protect Greenland. “I’ll also make it clear that if the US chooses to attack a NATO country militarily, then everything stops, including NATO & thus the security we’ve had since WW2 (world war two),” she said. Fears of the U.S. taking over Greenland have been renewed following the U.S.’s bombardment of Venezuela and capture of its President, Nicolás Maduro. Hours after Frederkisen’s remarks, Trump doubled down on his claim to take over Greenland. “We need Greenland from the standpoint of national security, and Denmark is not going to be able to do it,” Trump told reporters said when asked about the issue. Hours after the capture of the Venezuelan president, rightwing podcaster and wife of Donald Trump’s deputy chief of staff, Katie Miller, posted a map of Greenland draped in the U.S. flag with the caption “SOON”. Premier of Greenl

Europe
Swiss bar owners face fire investigation
The owners and managers of the bar where 40 people were killed and 119 were injured in a catastrophic New Year's Eve blaze have been placed under investigation, according to Swiss prosecutors. Jacques and Jessica Moretti are suspected of manslaughter by negligence, bodily harm by negligence and arson by negligence, according to prosecutors. The fire at the couple’s bar, Le Constellation, in Crans-Montana was likely to have been caused by sparklers on bottles being carried close to the ceiling, a preliminary investigation found. Lead prosecutor in the canton of Valais, Beatrice Pilloud, said investigators were looking into whether the venue's acoustic foam was “the cause of the problem” as well as "whether it complies with regulations" . Among the dead were teenagers as young as 16 as Le Constellation was a venue known to be a popular venue in the ski resort town where the drinking age is 16. Friends of an Australian teenager were also among those killed in the fire. Due to the severity of the burns, the identification process of the victims has been slow, with some people still reported missing.
Europe
Dozens die in Swiss ski resort fire
About 40 people died and 115 were injured when a fire broke out at a crowded bar during a New Year's Eve party in the upscale Swiss ski resort of Crans-Montana on Thursday. Police said the fire started at 1:30 am (12:30 am GMT) out in the basement and spread to the ground floor of the Le Constellation bar in the resort in south-western Switzerland, according to news reports. Swiss President Guy Parmelin described the disaster as "one of the worst tragedies our country has ever known" and said most of the dead were young people. "What was meant to be a moment of joy turned, on the first day of the year in Crans-Montana, into mourning that touches the entire country and far beyond," Parmelin said on the social media platform X. Regional Police Commander Frédéric Gisler said it was too early to identity the dead and injured who, witnesses said, appeared to be from different countries. Witnesses said the fire was caused by sparklers or candles in bottles, according to this CNN news report but, authorities said it was an accident rather than an attack and would take time to determine what started the blaze. Video footage showed fire spreading from the building and witnesses described scenes of panic and confusion as p
Europe
Canada joins EU defence fund SAFE
Canada has reached an agreement with the EU to join its €150 billion Security Action for Europe (SAFE) program, making it the first third-party country to do so. “This is the next step in our deepening cooperation and symbolic of the shared priorities of the European Union and Canada,” a joint statement between the EU and Canada said. This follows months of complex negotiations and was communicated directly to ministers taking part in Monday's Foreign Affairs Council; Defence Commissioner Andrius Kubilius informed delegations that negotiations with Ottawa had concluded. SAFE is a €150 billion readiness fund that is part of a major drive to get the EU ready to defend itself by 2030 amid fears of a Russian attack and doubts about U.S. protection. Under SAFE, third countries can account for a maximum of 35% of the value of a weapons system paid for the scheme. Canada will be able to have a larger share but will have to pay a fee. Similar talks were held with the U.K., but fell apart on Friday. Commission President Ursula von der Leyen welcomed Canada to SAFE in a post to X. “When like-minded partners join forces on security and defence in a turbulent world, our countries grow stronger, our industries benefit a
Europe
PM’s resignation plunges France into crisis
The French Government has resigned, but Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu has accepted a request from President Emmanuel Macron to find a solution to the political crisis. They resigned on Monday, only hours after Lecornu announced his cabinet line-up, making it the briefest administration in modern French history, but Macron urged Lecornu to hold discussions with other political parties within 48 hours to find a way forward. "The president has entrusted Mr Sebastien Lecornu, the outgoing Prime Minister in charge of day-to-day affairs, with the responsibility of conducting final negotiations by Wednesday evening to define a platform for action and stability for the country," the Elysee Palace said in a statement. Lecornu, France’s fifth prime minister in less than two years, tendered his resignation just 27 days after being appointed in the wake of threats to topple his new government. Lecornu said each political party was behaving like they had a parliamentary majority, and the “conditions were not fulfilled” to stay in office. “I was ready to compromise, but each political party wanted the other political party to adopt its entire program,” France 24 reported him as saying after his shock decision to step down.